it had happened or if she was fooling him, but I didn’t get the chance.
The sitting room looked on to the stairs, and the door was open while he telephoned.
I went out and got the car.
After a while he came down the path, wrapped in his comic coat, grinning from ear to ear. He climbed in, beside me, and we started off.
All the way to the airport he talked about his son-to-be, what he was going to do with him, where he was going to educate him, and a lot of stuff like that that nearly drove me nuts.
‘Don’t count your chicken, Mr. Sarek. Maybe you’ll get a girl.’
‘Is son. I know is son. Don’t talk to me about girls. Is unlucky.’
Miss Robinson was there to welcome him, and of course he had to tell her.
‘Excuse me, Mr. Sarek, but if you don’t want me any longer I’ll get off. You’re in good company.’
‘Is all right. You get off.’
He went right on talking to Miss Robinson.
I heard her say, ‘I’m terribly glad for you, Mr. Sarek. I know how you want a boy. I do wish you luck: you and Mrs. Sarek.’
And she really made it sound as if she meant it.
I returned to the car and headed back to Four Winds. On Western Avenue I beat the old crock up to seventy-three. It bounced about the road like a crazy kangaroo, but I kept it at it: I wanted to get back, and get back fast.
When I reached the house I shoved the car into the garage and locked the door. I wasn’t supposed to go back, and I wasn’t taking any chances of a tradesman seeing me and talking. Then I unlocked the front door and walked into the sitting room.
She was kneeling before the fire, still in her dressing gown. She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. There were shadowy smudges under her eyes, and her face was pale, but there was nothing wrong with her smile.
‘Were you sick?’
‘I was sick all right. I ate soap.’
I grabbed her and hauled her to her feet, ‘Then it isn’t true?’
‘Do you think I’d carry a child of his?’
‘But he thinks it’s coming. He’s acting like a crazy man telling everyone. He’s even told that air hostess.’
‘How was I to know the fool would jump to that conclusion? I had to be ill or he would have made me go with him.’
‘Did you have to be sick?’
‘You don’t know him like I do. He has to have proof. A headache or a pain wouldn’t have done.’
I suddenly saw how funny it was and began to laugh.
‘He’s certainly made a fool of himself all right.’
She watched me with an odd look in her eyes.
‘I shouldn’t have thought you would find it funny.’
‘Well, isn’t it? He’s going to get the shock of his life when nothing happens.’
‘Do you think he’ll ever admit he was wrong?’
I grinned at her.
‘What else can he do about it?’
‘Make certain he isn’t wrong.’
That wiped the grin of my face.
‘It takes two to make a job of that.’
‘Does it? I’m not so sure. I’ve had my own way for three years. I have a feeling it’s his turn now.’
‘Now, look here...’
‘I mean it, Frank. You don’t know what he’s like, and now he’s told everyone, he’ll get his way - unless we can find a way out.’
‘There is one. Pack up and come away with me - now. How do you like that for an idea?’
Her eyes widened.
‘And what do we do for money?’
I felt as if I’d suddenly walked into a wall. I hadn’t thought about money; all I was thinking about was owning her.
‘I can get a job. Don’t worry your head about money. I’ll get all the money you’ll want.’
‘Will you?’ The emerald eyes glittered. ‘Well, go ahead and get it, then come and tell me. I’ve had one dose of living on air. I’m not having another.’
‘You don’t call this living, do you? Stuck here in this lonely hole? You’re no better off than a skivvy. I could do better for you than this tomorrow.’
‘Then go ahead and do it. But don’t expect me to leave here until I’m sure you’re not fooling yourself - or me.’
I started to say
The sitting room looked on to the stairs, and the door was open while he telephoned.
I went out and got the car.
After a while he came down the path, wrapped in his comic coat, grinning from ear to ear. He climbed in, beside me, and we started off.
All the way to the airport he talked about his son-to-be, what he was going to do with him, where he was going to educate him, and a lot of stuff like that that nearly drove me nuts.
‘Don’t count your chicken, Mr. Sarek. Maybe you’ll get a girl.’
‘Is son. I know is son. Don’t talk to me about girls. Is unlucky.’
Miss Robinson was there to welcome him, and of course he had to tell her.
‘Excuse me, Mr. Sarek, but if you don’t want me any longer I’ll get off. You’re in good company.’
‘Is all right. You get off.’
He went right on talking to Miss Robinson.
I heard her say, ‘I’m terribly glad for you, Mr. Sarek. I know how you want a boy. I do wish you luck: you and Mrs. Sarek.’
And she really made it sound as if she meant it.
I returned to the car and headed back to Four Winds. On Western Avenue I beat the old crock up to seventy-three. It bounced about the road like a crazy kangaroo, but I kept it at it: I wanted to get back, and get back fast.
When I reached the house I shoved the car into the garage and locked the door. I wasn’t supposed to go back, and I wasn’t taking any chances of a tradesman seeing me and talking. Then I unlocked the front door and walked into the sitting room.
She was kneeling before the fire, still in her dressing gown. She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. There were shadowy smudges under her eyes, and her face was pale, but there was nothing wrong with her smile.
‘Were you sick?’
‘I was sick all right. I ate soap.’
I grabbed her and hauled her to her feet, ‘Then it isn’t true?’
‘Do you think I’d carry a child of his?’
‘But he thinks it’s coming. He’s acting like a crazy man telling everyone. He’s even told that air hostess.’
‘How was I to know the fool would jump to that conclusion? I had to be ill or he would have made me go with him.’
‘Did you have to be sick?’
‘You don’t know him like I do. He has to have proof. A headache or a pain wouldn’t have done.’
I suddenly saw how funny it was and began to laugh.
‘He’s certainly made a fool of himself all right.’
She watched me with an odd look in her eyes.
‘I shouldn’t have thought you would find it funny.’
‘Well, isn’t it? He’s going to get the shock of his life when nothing happens.’
‘Do you think he’ll ever admit he was wrong?’
I grinned at her.
‘What else can he do about it?’
‘Make certain he isn’t wrong.’
That wiped the grin of my face.
‘It takes two to make a job of that.’
‘Does it? I’m not so sure. I’ve had my own way for three years. I have a feeling it’s his turn now.’
‘Now, look here...’
‘I mean it, Frank. You don’t know what he’s like, and now he’s told everyone, he’ll get his way - unless we can find a way out.’
‘There is one. Pack up and come away with me - now. How do you like that for an idea?’
Her eyes widened.
‘And what do we do for money?’
I felt as if I’d suddenly walked into a wall. I hadn’t thought about money; all I was thinking about was owning her.
‘I can get a job. Don’t worry your head about money. I’ll get all the money you’ll want.’
‘Will you?’ The emerald eyes glittered. ‘Well, go ahead and get it, then come and tell me. I’ve had one dose of living on air. I’m not having another.’
‘You don’t call this living, do you? Stuck here in this lonely hole? You’re no better off than a skivvy. I could do better for you than this tomorrow.’
‘Then go ahead and do it. But don’t expect me to leave here until I’m sure you’re not fooling yourself - or me.’
I started to say
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